According to the IQAir website, New York was the most polluted major city in the world on Tuesday night, as smoke from Canadian wildfires shrouded the city in clouds. According to the Swiss air quality company, pollution levels in the metropolis were in the “unhealthy” range and were higher than in the Indian capital Delhi and Iraq’s Baghdad at 1:25 a.m. New York time.
Other North American cities were also hit by smoke from the extraordinary wildfires
Other North American cities were also hit by smoke from the extraordinary wildfires, with Detroit suffering the worst. In a statement issued Tuesday night, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that an Air Quality Health Advisory had been issued for all five boroughs and that while conditions were projected to improve until Wednesday morning, they were expected to worsen later in the day.
“We are taking precautions out of an abundance of caution to protect New Yorkers’ health until we are able to get a better sense of future air quality reports,” said Adams. “We recommend all New Yorkers limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible.”
At 01:05 a.m., the US Air Quality Index for New York was 222 on a 0-500 scale, putting the air in the “very unhealthy” category. If the current rate of burning continues, Canada will have its worst wildfire season on record. According to government officials, around 3.3 million hectares (8.2 million acres) have been burnt thus far. There are currently 413 fires blazing, and 26,000 Canadians have been forced to abandon their homes.